Vernon Election Guide 2020

VERNON, CT — Voters in Vernon will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, for the 2020 general election.

In addition to the presidential and congressional races, all state House of Representative and Senate seats are up for grabs. Voting will be different this year thanks to a law which allows absentee ballot voting for all voters in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Voters can check their voting status on the Secretary of State's website, where they can also find a list of polling places.

There are several ways residents can vote:

Absentee Voting

The Secretary of the State office has mailed absentee ballot applications to all active registered voters in the state. Voters can also download the application online. Those who want an absentee ballot will have to fill out the application and select a reason for requesting one.

All voters are eligible to check the top box that lists "COVID-19" as a reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

Applications then need to be sent to the voter's local town clerk office. They can be dropped in the secure drop-off box in front of town hall, hand-delivered in person to the office or mailed in.

The applications will then be processed locally and will begin to be sent out Oct. 2.
Ballots must be completely filled out according to the accompanied instructions, including signing the inner envelope. Ballots can be hand-delivered to the town clerk office, placed in the drop-off box or mailed in. Ballots must be received by the close of polls in order to count.

Voting on Election Day

Polls in Connecticut are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters can use the Secretary of State’s website to find a respective polling place.

Regular voter registration must be received or postmarked by the seventh day before Election Day. Registration can be done in person with the local registrar of voters office by the seventh day before an election.

Connecticut also allows for Election Day registration at designated centers in each town. People must be registered by 8 p.m. in order to vote using Election Day registration.

See sample ballots here.

The following are the key contested races that will be on the ballot for Vernon voters:

In all four districts, voters will choose between Republican incumbent Daniel Champagne and Democratic challenger Lisa Thomas.

In voting District 8, its Republican incumbent Timothy Ackert against Democratic Challenger Brenda Falusi for the 8th district state house seat.

In voting districts 1, 2 and 3, it's Democratic incumbent Michael Winkler against Republican Laura Bush for the 56th District state House seat.

See more local election information and profiles of those who responded to a Patch questionnaire here.

For the Vernon elections division website, click here.